Women at the top

It’s been 50 years this month since the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, the seminal book that inspired women to challenge the gender role once ascribed to them as housewives.

Friedan, whose book sparked the “second wave” of the Women’s Movement, was the founder of the National Organization for Women. Her efforts to open doors to women led to landmark moments in American feminism, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination against minorities, including women.

Friedan passed away in 2006 at the age of 85, having seen a world of opportunities open up for women. It’s with this in mind that the CN&R decided to focus on women-owned or -operated companies for our annual Business and Entrepreneurs issue.

There are many thriving women-run businesses in the North State, so choosing those to highlight was not easy. In the end, we came up with a good mix of interesting success stories coming out of eight very successful companies, from food-product manufacturers and distributors to fuel-tank manufacturers and a business developer.

These leaders in business are continuing Friedan’s good work, inspiring future generations of young women to aspire for equality in all things, work not excepted.